Winter Car Seat Safety Tips

One of the most important jobs you have as a parent is keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle. Each year, thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. Proper use of car seats helps keep children safe.

Winter is a tricky time for car seats. As a general rule, bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat.

In a car crash, fluffy padding immediately flattens out from the force, leaving extra space under the harness. A child can then slip through the straps and be thrown from the seat.

The following tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will help parents strike that perfect balance between keeping little ones warm as well as safely buckled in their car seats.

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Dani Friend and Kira Kessler, two recipients of the Kovler Family Scholarship, discuss how the Scholarship transformed their lives and prepared them for future success

So thank you, for setting me up to succeed, for watching me grow up, and for giving me the life I always dreamed of. And to the lucky ones reading this… get ready. This is the beginning of the rest of your life. You can be anything, learn anything, do anything… so get up and do it! This is your shot and I know you’ll make us proud.

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Family Conflict: An Opportunity for Growth and Change for All

By David Lipschutz, LCSW, Director of Adult, Child and Family Services

Conflicts happen at school, at work, and in homes. Arguments, big and small, occur in all families. There are many causes for these conflicts. The pressures on families are endless. Financial, cultural, traumas, school, employment, and relationships are some examples of stressors that families face on a daily basis. All these stressors create a complex environment for raising children in our society. This article highlights the potential for growth and change by acknowledging that verbal conflicts occur in families and looks at ways to be less reactive in these conflicts.

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Children Will Listen: How to Promote a Healthier Body Image for Your Kids

If you grew up in an environment where you received unhealthy messages around eating, body image, and weight, it can be difficult to break the cycle and avoid passing these ideas on to your own kids. But it’s not impossible! A good first step is to listen to the way you (intentionally or unintentionally) talk about eating and body image in your child’s presence. If you find yourself saying any of the things below, try to shift to healthier, happier talk. This will not only benefit your child, but it can lead to your own gradual internalization of more positive thoughts and beliefs.

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We’re All in this Together: What to Expect in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grades; Language Arts, Literacy and Math

By Marc Bermann, Recruiter/Trainer

All schools systems have academic standards that provide an important, clear roadmap for learning. In the early stages of language arts and literacy development, children will learn the fundamentals of letter and word recognition; sentence structure and reading comprehension. In the early stages of mathematics development, they will learn counting and comparing numbers (i.e., which is a greater amount?) and basic word problems. To help your child perform in school, it is best to help your child learn at home, as well. Try to create a quiet place for your child to study, and carve out time every day when your child can concentrate. You should also try to sit down with your child at least once a week for 15 to 30 minutes while he or she works on homework. This will keep you informed about what your child is working on, and it will help you be the first to know if your child needs help with specific topics or concepts.

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What Community Development Can Teach Us About Self-Development

by Yakov Danishefsky, JCFS Chicago Community Services Intern

Leadership, at its best, is fueled by a fervent desire for change and the ardent commitment to a dream. But zealotry, whatever its worth, is not leadership. Leadership consultant, Marty Linsky, writes that “Leadership is disappointing your people at a rate they can absorb.” If the leader expresses too much passion, she loses her people. Too little passion, and she loses herself and her cause. Being passionate enough to dedicate your life to social-change advocacy, and yet patient and even-keeled enough to do so successfully, is not simple.

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HIAS Immigration & Citizenship College Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

By David Rupp, Social Work Graduate Student and Intern, JCFS Chicago

The 2020/2021 HIAS Immigration & Citizenship College Scholarship Program is officially live! Applications are available to download through the submission deadline of February 1, 2020.

For over a decade, HIAS Immigration & Citizenship has had the honor of providing scholarships for Jewish students whose lives have been touched by our organization directly, or through their parents or grandparents.

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